Tie section for connecting adjacent ladder scaffolds



Nov. 6, 1951 T. c. NORTH 2,574,409

TIE SECTION FOR CONNECTING ADJACENT LADDER SCAFFOLDS Filed June 8, 1949 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 R] I EH:

I i INVENTOR. J1 BY JEN, E. M a'w'w 19444 ATTORNEYS,

Nov. 6, 1951 T. 0. NORTH 2,574,409

TIE SECTION FOR CONNECTING ADJACENT LADDER SCAFFOLDS Filed June 8, 1949 2 SHEETSSHEET 2 m G P INVENTOR.

BY Wb LM dad v MM 4. ATTORNEYS.

Patentecl Nov. 6, 1951 V UNITED STATE'S' PATENT 1 oF-HcE I V 2,574,46 I TIE section FQBi-bliNNECTING ADJACENT" LADDER scAFFoLns Thomas 7C. North, Zlienopla Pa ass or to v v -versal Manufacturing Corp. gzelieiioplefPa. a corporation oi Pennsylvania f I u Aiipllcatio ii' gljiine8; 1949, saw No. 97,734

2 c me-- (01. sci-#39 This invention relates to ladder"scaffolds,"and platiorin.; 3, gild lfii fg fi by1-.;inc1ine.d braces more particularly to units orsections for tying The; platform structur '-.de,s,crib.ed.in det r m together parallel scaffolds. V H ai d n m c pendin patent application, see

It is among thebbjects of this invention to ,rial Numb er 91,350, filed May4,,1 949 ,The:draw,-;;. provide a tie section for connecting parallel lad-- r1 ings herein showonlyoneendpanelzof each scaf-a; der scafiolds which is adjustable in length,*wliich" fold, but, it will be.understood that the. panelsat; can be separated into small compact units that the opposite end eithescafioldsare thesam ass. can be more readily stored or transported, which the ones shown. Each endpanelhas legs 6 which" can be quickly and easily connected to and dis ai-reconnected by equally;spacedrungs fl. so that connected from thescaifolds that it ties together, I the panel resembles a ladder andseryes asone-to and which is strong enough to support a working a certain ext ;ent. Eachendpanehmaybe formed.

platform between the scaffolds. fron 1 or 1e or more superimposed ladder sections... In accordance with thisinvention, the tie se'cdepending upon the height of the scaffolding tion includes a horizontal spreader member desired. i l

which is adapted to span the space between the In accordance with. invention, the two end two vertical end panels "located at one end of the panels s ho vn whiqh arglqcate d at d of th parallel ladder scaffolds which the tie section is pair fparallel scaiiclds are .connected,a-,tie designed to connect. Hooks are connected to the section 8 The two end panels (not; shown) at: oppfisite ends of the spreader member. and'extenid the opposite endof.theparallel scafifold sarepon 1 lengthwise of it out past the adjacent panel legs 'nec t'ed .inthefsame way. Eachtiesection p and then across the tops of a pair of the panel erably is thefo mpfuss which spans t rungs in engagement therewith and then down s ace between the end panels atits opposite end s., the opposite side of each rungf'In this way'the The horizontal .inember of;the ,trus s hasits ends tie section is supported by the rungs which are ti ly abuttingitheilinnenlegsffior .the-endengaged by its hooks, and the connected'f end panels are prevented from movingtoward or away from each other. The. spreader member prefer ably is formed from the aligned'upper members of two triangular elements disposedi'n the samever- H tical plane where they are adjustab ly COIlliQQtedtg is teles'coped into thefinnef endsj of.gthetubes by a connecting member. Each triangularjelefi Fastening members; "sumas bolts 13,. entend ment also has a vertical side member ne'xtto'a 7 through transverseholesnearfihegnhei lnd slfof' panel leg, and an inclined brace connecting the h tu es a Iiii h 'iiHgh re ste ng oles eXtendlower end of the side member to the inner end of ns r n v s y r h h connecting m m rthe upper member. The hooks are mounted at By p o ding the latter with a plura ty of lon iboth the upper and lower ends of the vertical side tudinally spaced holes l4, it can be telescoped member. A truss is thus formed which is addifferent distances into the tubes and locked in justable in length and which is strong enough to those positions by bolts l3, thereby varyi g the support a working platform between the scaflength of the Spreader member in accordance folds. 40 with the distance between the scaffolds.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is ach tube N fo m t t p o a a ar 616- shown in the accompanying drawings, in which ment. One side of the triangle is formed from Fig. l is an end View of two parallel scafiolds a vertical side member l6 that extends from whose ladder panels are connected by my tie sect e O er e f t t do along the jation; Fig. 2 is a combined plan view and horicent end panel leg. The third side of the trizontal section taken on the line II-II of Fig. 1; angle is formed from an inclined brace ll that Fig. 3 is a vertical section through one of the is secured to the inner end of the horizontal tube ladder panels, tak n on the line III-III of Fig, and to the lower end of the vertical side mem- 1; and Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary plan bar. The lower end of this brace substantially view of a detail, taken on the line IV-IV of 5 abuts the adjacent leg of the end panel. It will Fig. 1. be seen that both triangular elements and the Referring to the drawings, a pair of parallel two end panels all lie in the same vertical plane. ladder scaffolds l and 2 are shown. Each scaf- The truss just described is connected to and fold is formed from a pair of parallel vertical supported by the vertical end panels by means of end panels connected by a vertically adjustable hooks l8 attached to its opposite ends. Preferably, there are hooks at the upper and lower ends of each vertical side member l6 of the truss. Each hook is formed from a short metal rod. Each upper hook has its inner end welded to one side of the outer end of the adjoining horizontal tube II, and projects lengthwise of that tube out beyond its end. More specifically, the hook extends past the adjacent panel leg 6 and then is bent at substantially a right angle so that it will extend across the top of a panel rung "I on which it rests for support. The outer end portion of the hook is bent to extend downward across the rung. It will be seen in Fig. 2 that the panel leg is held in the recess formed between the end of the spreader member and the horizontal portions of the hook extending around two sides of the leg. The lower hooks of the tie section are the same as the upper hooks, but their inner ends are welded to the sides of the lower ends of the inclined braces IT. The distance between the vertically spaced hooks at each end of the tie section is such that both of them will rest on difierent rungs of the adjoining ladder panel. In other words, they are spaced the same distance apart as the rungs, or a multiple of that distance, depending on the depth of the truss. The hooks not only support the truss from the scaffold end panels, but they also prevent the panels from moving farther apart.

It will be seen that each tie section is a strong truss which can support one end of a working platform that can be laid across the tie sections to enable workmen to do overhead work between the scafiolds. The tie section can be removed from the supporting end panels by merely lifting it far enough for its hooks to clear the adjoining rungs, and then swinging it horizontaJy to move the hooks away from the panels. When the tie section is not being used, the central member [2 that connects the two triangular elements can be removed so that the triangular elements can be placed flat against each other for storage or transportation.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that,

within the scope of the appended claims, the

allel ladder scanolds having vertical end panel s each provided with a pair or legs connected by tubular rungs having their ends flattened in a vertical plane to form lateral recesses where they join the legs, said section comprising a truss adapted to span the space between the two end panels located at one end of the parallel scaffolds, and vertically spaced hooks connected to each end of the truss, each hook being a bent rod extending lengthwise of the truss past the adjacent panel leg and then across the top of a panel rung in engagement therewith and down the opposite side of the rung in one of said recesses, whereby the truss will be supported by the rungs engaged by its hooks.

2. A tie section for connecting a pair of parallel ladder scaffolds having vertical end panels each provided with a pair of legs connected by tubular rungs having their ends flattened in a vertical plane to form lateral recesses where they join the legs, said section comprising a horizontal spreader member adapted to span the space between the two end panels located at one end of the parallel scaffolds, braces having upper ends secured to the spreader member and having lower ends directly below the opposite ends of said member, hooks connected to the opposite ends of the spreader member, and similar hooks connected to the lower ends of the braces, each hook being a bent rod adapted to extend past the adjacent panel leg and then across the top of a panel rung in engagement therewith and down the opposite side of the rung in one of said recesses, whereby the tie section will be supported by the rungs engaged by its hooks.

THOMAS C. NORTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 405,195 Ayres June 11, 1889 598,289 Hagan Feb. 1, 1898 840,636 Lillow Jan. 8, 1907 970,508 Kanrath Sept. 20, 1910 991,182 Thanbald May 2, 1911 2,308,832 Roney Jan. 19, 1943 2,325,592 Degler Aug. 3, 1943 2,363,382 Attwood Nov. 21, 1944 2,430,642 Mahafiey Nov. 11, 1947 

